Certain hardware is used to determine whether software to test semiconductor flash memory wafer testing and semiconductor flash memory package testing is performing properly. In particular, the hardware may include wafer probers and package handlers. A wafer prober is a machine to test integrated circuits. The wafer prober is usually responsible for loading and unloading a wafer from its carrier or cassette and is equipped with automatic pattern recognition optics capable of aligning the wafer with sufficient accuracy to ensure accurate registration between the contact pads on the wafer and the tips of the probe. Package handlers perform a substantially similar functionality. Therefore, by connecting a controller with installed software to the wafer prober and/or the package handler, the wafer prober and/or package handler may execute the functionality dictated by the software. The software may also be modified to test if the hardware runs according to predetermined parameters.
However, wafer probers and package handlers are very expensive and not readily available at customer sites. Even when a wafer prober or package handler is available, upgraded models of the wafer prober or package handler may be necessary for testing purposes, facilitating a need to purchase the upgraded models. Prober manufacturers often have simulator software for its respective prober but the manufacturers often do not make the simulator available to outside testers. Furthermore, because the simulator software is designed specifically for the respective prober of the manufacturer, the simulator software does not cover the range of available probers and/or handlers that is required to be supported. That is, a different simulator is necessary to test a performance of the software for each prober/handler.